EFFICACY OF VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTATION IN CHRONIC ALCOHOLICS UNDERGOING DETOXIFICATION

Ninety-seven admissions to an alcoholic unit were allocatedto one of three groups receiving either oral vitamin supplements,intravenous vitamin therapy or placebo during a fiveday detoxificationregime. Thiamine, riboflavin and pyridoxine status was assessedby measurement of erythrocyte transketolase (ETK), glutathionereductase (EGR) and glutamateoxaloacetate transaminasc (EGOT)activities on Days 0, 2 and 5. Vitamin status as assessed bythese parameters improved in most patients by Day 5 irrespectiveof the treatment regime. However, two-thirds of those patientsoriginally thiamine-deficient, as assessed by basal ETK, werestill deficient after fivedays, irrespective of vitamin therapyreceived. Assessment of thiamine status by basal ETK yieldedmore patients rated as deficient than did assessment by theactivation coefficient for transketolase (a-ETK or ‘TPPeffect’). EGOT was elevated in nearly all patients studied,whilst erythrocyte pyridoxal-5-phosphate concentrations werelow, indicating that in alcoholics, EGOT is a poor indicatorof pyridoxine status.